Boston College Confident in Chances to Win Third National Title in Four Years After Winning Hockey East

BOSTON — Boston College has all of the confidence it needs heading into the NCAA tournament, and with the amount of veterans on its roster, it knows exactly where it needs to be at this point of the season.

The Eagles locked up a No. 1 seed in the national tournament by defeating Merrimack, 5-3, in Saturday's Hockey East championship at TD Garden. Already this season, they have defended their Beanpot and Hockey East titles, and they're in a good position as they prepare to defend their national championship.

"Absolutely, we're a pretty confident team right now," BC senior captain Joe Whitney said. "Heading into the nationals, it kind of amps up a little bit. We'll work hard this week to prepare."

Boston College has three seniors — Whitney, goalie John Muse and forward Brian Gibbons — who have won two national championships, and they're trying to become the first class in Hockey East history to claim a third national crown.

It's hard to argue against them after this weekend. In the semifinals, BC staved off a physically intense Northeastern team that had given it fits in the last month. And with the league championship on the line, the Eagles played a different type of game, using its skill, speed and finesse to outrace Merrimack for its league-record 10th Hockey East championship, including its sixth since 2001.

Muse improved his career postseason record to 21-1, including a 13-1 mark in the Hockey East playoffs. Boston College junior forward Cam Atkinson, a Hobey Baker finalist, eclipsed the 50-point plateau with a pair of third-period goals, each of which put BC in the lead.

The Eagles know what they'll get out of Muse, who has never lost an NCAA tournament game, and they've got enough offensive firepower to outscore any team in the country, putting them in the right frame of mind at the most important time of the year.

"I like where our confidence level is," said Muse, who has 89 career wins. "We go out there every single day, every practice, [with the desire] to get better. I don't think any of us are complacent with where we are right now. We know we're going to get better next week leading up to our first round of games."

BC has already defeated the demons that have haunted the two previous national champions. After winning the title in 2008, the Eagles missed the tournament altogether. Ditto for Boston University after taking the crown in 2009.

This whole season has been a learning experience, and the Eagles haven't lost a trophy game in two years. Their performance in the Hockey East tournament indicated they're more than prepared for the NCAA's.

"After last year's success that we had, the expectations are high," Whitney said, "and we expect a lot from ourselves."